Separatory funnel for analysis of oils, fats, soaps, and like substances



Jam, 23, 19191 M. J. H. E. HUSTINX fi fl SEPARATORY FUNNEL FOR ANALYSIS OF OILS, FATS, SOAPS I AND LIKE SUBSTANCES Filed Sept. 25, 1945 Patented Jan. 23, 1951 SEPARA'IORY FUNNEL FOR ANALYSIS OF OILS, STANCES FATS, SOAPS, AND LIKE SUB- Marie Joseph Hubert Edmond Hustinx, Maastricht, Netherlands Application September 25, 1945, Serial No. 618,545 In the Netherlands April 8, 1942 Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires April 8,- 1962 3 Claims. (61.23-12.92)

Cake method. Especially in the case of oils, fats,

soaps, bitumina, etc, however, the use of a number of utensils is not only very cumbersome, but it has a very unfavorable influence upon the exactness of the results of the determination. This is in particular the case for substances which are decomposed or changed by the action of the air.

It is an object of my invention to provide a handy apparatus for carrying out chemical operations and manipulations in general, e. g.

weighing, drying, dissolving, mixing, concentrating, precipitating, coolingheating, melting, boiling, distillating, evaporating, decanting, evacuating, crystallizing. etc. and especially when these operations and manipulations have to be carried out for analytical purposes but also for synthetic purposes.

Another object of my invention is an apparatus which substantially is very useful as a kind of combination of a beaker-glass and a separating funnel.

Another object of my invention is a handy apparatus for analyzing oils, fats, soaps and the like substances.

Still other objects of my invention will be clear from the following description.

My apparatus substantially consists of a bottleshaped ves el having a funnel shaped upper part with a tubular and, if desired. graduated neck provided with a cock having preferably at least two ways, said bottle-shaped vessel having further at least one preferably upwardly directed and tubulated opening in its sidewall in which fits a closing means which may be a ground stopper, if desired. provided with a tube running through it and extending into the bottle-shaped vessel and having a closing means, preferably a cock, outside said vessel. The bottom of the bottle-shaped vessel may be fiat or nearly fiat; in case that the apparatus has to be used under pressure, however, I prefer a round, at least a convex bottom. The neck of the apparatus may be graduated or it may be provided with a graduated and, if desired, removable elongation outside the vessel.

The accompanying drawing illustrates by way of example two embodiments of the apparatus according to my invention. Fig. 1 represents in a somewhat schematic manner a simple glass apparatus having a flat bottom and one opening in its sidewall; Fig. 2 represents in the same manner a somewhat more complicated glass apparatus having a round bottom, a graduated neck and two openings in its sidewall. As a matter of fact it is not necessary but only preferable to provide the apparatus with ground stoppers, ground cocks, etc., but it may be constructed with the aid of usual laboratory utensils, e. g. rubber stoppers, rubber tubing with pinch cocks or tubing clamps etc. I

According to Fig. 1 the bottle-shaped vessel I having e. g. a volume of 250-300 cm is provided with a fiat bottom 2 and its funnel-shaped upper part 3 terminates in a relatively narrow neck 4, having e. g. a diameter of --5 mm. This neck 4 can be closed by means of a one-way stop cock 5 so that for instance it is possible to bring the interior of the vessel I in communication with the atmospherical air or with another apparatus to which it is connected at 5. In its sidewall the vessel I has a horizontal tubulated opening I which is closed by a ground stopper 8.

The apparatus according to Fig. 2 has a round bottom 2, a similar funnel-shaped part 3 and a graduated neck 1% which is, however, provided with a two-way stop cock 5'. In its sidewall are provided two tubulated openings I I and I2, which are directed upwardly. The opening II can be tube 9 is bent to and ends near the bottom of the vessel I in the interior of said vessel; for some purposes, however, it is preferable to use a tube 9 which is bent upwardly. v

Through the openings I (Fig. 1) and II (Fig 2) the substance to be treated is introduced into the vessel I and through the tube 9 (Fig. 2) a liquid or a gas, e. g. an indifferent gas in case the substance to be treated is decomposed or changed by the action of air, can be introduced. Obviously it is also possible to introduce gas into the apparatus according to Fig. 1 when the stopper 8 is replaced by a ground stopper with a tube like the stopper i l of Fig. 2, or by replacing it by a rubber stopper through which runs a tube.

The apparatus according to the Figures 1 and 2 can be used for many purposes and its dimensions,

form, equipment, etc. can be easily adapted to every special purpose by one skilled in the art. Especially, however, it is very useful as a kind of combination of a beaker-glass and. a. separating funnel and in order to elucidate further its use in this sense, the analysis of a linseed oil soap with the aid of my apparatus is described by way of example.

For this purpose the apparatus is first weighed in empty condition, whereupon the soap is introduced through the opening in the sidewall and the opening is closed withthe stopper. Thereupon the apparatus is weighed again in order to determine the weight of the soap. The soap is thereupon decomposed in the ordinary manner with the acid and after termination of this reaction the cock is closed and the apparatus is turned upside down. The watery solution is drawn off through the cock 5 in the same manner as by using a separating funnel and the fatty acids are washed with water and, if desired, dried in the apparatus. By reading their volume on the calibrated neck or by weighing their quantity can be determined. If it is desired to use the wax cake method, after decantation all water and moisture are eliminated and the apparatus is weighed a third time. The drying may be carried out by passing a heated indifferent gas through the apparatus whereby the use of alcohol becomes superfluous. Using the ether extraction method the analysis is carried out much more rapidly than in the known manner and with a surprising exactness, since all the operations, including the evaporation of the ether are carried out in the same apparatus which can be Weighed exactly. spilling of fatty acids and ether is entirely excluded and the results of the determination show no errors due to sticking of the fatty acids to a number of utensils used, e. g. beakers, separating funnels, etc.

Another important advantage over an ordinary separating funnel'is the fact that in using a separating funnel only the heavy liquid can be drawn off, whereas my apparatus enables to draw of! also the light liquid. In order to carry this out the apparatus is not turned upside down, but through the tube 9 a liquid is introduced into the vessel I till the light liquid is expelled through the cock 5. In this case the two-way stop cock may be useful.

According to my invention it is also possible to provide the neck of my apparatus with a removable and, if desired, graduated tubular elongation above the cock 5. The quantity of the liquid or. solid fatty acids can be determined in. this elongation by the volumetric method or by weighing.

I claim:

I. A heatable-separatory funnel which consists of a bottle having a gradually sloping upper portion uniting into a central tubular. outlet, said outlet extending a shortdistance upwardly and having a ground glass 2-way stopcock therein,

one passage of which is operable to open the passage through said tubular outlet when arranged to coincide therewith and another passage of which is operable to open a passage from said bottle through said stopper tothe outside air when said first passage is not in the open position, and having a ground glass opening in the side wall thereof located substantially in the center thereof closed by a ground glass stopper so that when in upright position said funnel may be heated to carry out a chemical reaction and when inverted may be used as a separatory funnel and said tubular outlet between the upper portion of the bottle and the glass stopcock being graduated.

2. A heatable separatory funnel which consists of a bottle having a gradually sloping upper por tion uniting into a central tubular outlet, said outlet extending a short distance upwardly and having a ground glass 2-way stopcock therein, one passage of which is operable to open the passage through said tubular outlet when arranged to coincide therewith and another passage of which is operable to open a passage from said bottle through said stopper to the outside air when said first passage is not in the open position, and having a ground glass opening in the side wall thereof, a stopper closing said opening in said sidewall, a conduit extending through said stopper leading to the bottom portion of said bottle and a stopcock on said conduit lo cated adjacent to said stopper outside of the bottle.

3. A heatable separatory funnel comprising a bottle having a gradually sloping upper portion uniting into a central tubular outlet extending upwardly, a transversely extending ground glass stopcock in said outlet, said bottle having a ground glass opening in the wall thereof, a glass stopper located in said opening, a conduit extending through said stopper leading to the bottom portion of said bottle and a stopcock on said conduit located adjacent to said stopper outside of the bottle so that when in upright position said funnel may be heated to carry out a chemical reaction and when inverted may be used as a separatory funnel.

MARIE JOSEPH HUBERT EDMOND HUSTINX.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,034,l'70 Vanier July 30, 1912 1,074,475 Johnson Oct. '7, 1913 OTHER REFERENCES Eimer and Amend Catalogue (th Anniversary Edition). 

1. A HEATABLE SEPARATORY FUNNEL WHICH CONSISTS OF A BOTTLE HAVING A GRADUALLY SLOPING UPPER PORTION UNITING INTO A CENTRAL TUBULAR OUTLET, SAID OUTLET EXTENDING A SHORT DISTANCE UPWARDLY AND HAVING A GROUND GLASS 2-WAY STOPCOCK THEREIN, ONE PASSAGE OF WHICH IS OPERABLE TO OPEN THE PASSAGE THROUGH SAID TUBULAR OUTLET WHEN ARRANGED TO COINCIDE THEREWITH AND ANOTHER PASSAGE OF WHICH IS OPERABLE TO OPEN A PASSAGE FROM SAID BOTTLE THROUGH SAID STOPPER TO THE OUTSIDE AIR WHEN SAID FIRST PASSAGE IS NOT IN THE OPEN POSITION, AND HAVING A GROUND GLASS OPENING IN THE SIDE WALL THEREOF LOCATED SUBSTANTIALLY IN THE CENTER THEREOF CLOSED BY A GROUND GLASS STOPPER SO THAT WHEN IN UPRIGHT POSITION SAID FUNNEL MAY BE HEATED TO CARRY OUT A CHEMICAL REACTION AND WHEN INVERTED MAY BE USED AS A SEPARATORY FUNNEL AND SAID TUBULAR OUTLET BETWEEN THE UPPER PORTION OF THE BOTTLE AND THE GLASS STOPCOCK BEING GRADUATED. 